Knee Function of Four Alpine and One Freestyle World Cup Skiers 30 Years after Serious Knee Injuries

Abstract

Objective: Serious knee injuries have ruined many skiing careers. The purpose of this study is to report the knee function of five Norwegian world cup skiers 30 years after a serious knee injury. Methods: The five skiers with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and concomitant serious knee injuries were treated at Oslo University Hospital in the period 1989-92. The median age at the time of injury was 25 (19-26) years. Three of the alpine skiers regained their world cup ranking. About 30 years after their injuries, the skiers were asked about later injuries, competition activity and evaluated by Tegner activity scale and the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS). Results: The skiers participated in median 4 (0-5) world cup seasons after their knee injuries and did not suffer new acute knee injuries. Thirty years after the knee injury the tegner score was higher (more activity) and the KOOS score was lower (more symptoms) than those of a normal population of corresponding age group. Conclusion: Thirty years after a serious knee knee injury the five world cup skiers are still living an active life with higher tegner and lower KOOS scores than the normal population. Functional knee scores should therefore be related to the degree of activity.